In children and teens,
scoliosis typically does not cause symptoms and is not
obvious until the curve of the spine becomes moderate or severe. It may first become
noticeable to a parent who observes that the child's clothes do not fit right
or that hems hang unevenly. The child's spine may look crooked, or the ribs may
stick out.

Recommended Related to Back Pain

We've all experienced back problems from time to time -- lower back pain or strain of the neck. In fact, problems from back pain are among the most common physical complaints of American adults and are a leading cause of lost job time -- to say nothing of the time and money spent in search of relief.
Back pain includes sore muscles, ligaments and tendons, herniated discs, fractures, and other problems. Most often, the causes of back pain have developed over a long period of time.

The ribs are higher on one
side when the child bends forward from the waist.

The waistline may
be flat on one side.

Most of the time scoliosis does not cause pain in children
or teens. When back pain is present with
scoliosis, it may be because the curve in the spine is causing stress and pressure on the spinal discs, nerves, muscles, ligaments, or facet joints. It is not usually caused by
the curve itself. Pain in a teen who has scoliosis may indicate another problem, such
as a bone or spinal tumor. If your child has pain associated with scoliosis, it
is very important that he or she see a doctor to find out what is causing the
pain.

Adults who have scoliosis may or may not have back pain. In
most cases where back pain is present, it is hard to know whether scoliosis is
the cause. But if scoliosis in an adult gets worse and becomes severe, it
can cause back pain and difficulty breathing.

Some
other conditions, such as
kyphosis, cause symptoms similar to scoliosis.

In this article

This information is produced and provided by the National
Cancer
Institute (NCI). The information in this topic may have changed since it was written. For the most current information, contact the National
Cancer
Institute via the Internet web site at http://
cancer
.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated:
March 12, 2014

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor.
Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this
information.